Storm hood and cover for launches.



110.739,38@ PATENTBD sEPT.22',1903.1 .4.11. CASTLE. f

STORM HOOD AND COVER POR LAUNCHES. A'PPLoATIoN FILED JAN. za, 190s.

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"Patented September 22, 1903i.

PATENT UNITED STATEs ARTHUR II. oAsTLE, E MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AssreNoR oE'oNE- HALF TO S. M. HAUSER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STORM Hoon AND CovI-:R FOR LAUNCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Fatent, No. 739,389, dated September 22, 19Q3.

` j Application nea Immer, 190s. 1s'rai No. 140,237. (No 'modem To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, ARTHUR H. CASTLE, of Minneapolis, county ofHennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StormzHoods and Covers for Launches, of which the following is a specification. L

In the use of a launch, particularly those of the comparatively small gasolene type,

greatdiscomfort is frequently experienced, particularly by the occupants of the forward part of the boat, while running into acold head wind or against a heavy sea on account of there being no means for breaking the wind or preventing the spray from drenching the forward portion of the cockpit las the waves break over the bow. A

The object, therefore, of my invention is to obviate this objection to the use of the small launch on a windy day by providing means for breaking the -force of the wind and also protecting the forward portion'of the boat and the occupants from the spray.

A further object is to provide a wind and spray shield that may also be utilized as a protection from the sun.I N

A further Objectis to provide means for protecting the occupants of the boat in stormy weather andV also-as a cover for the boat` while at the dock. A

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdeta'iled description.

The invention consists generally in various constructionsand combinations, all -asr hereinafterdescribed,andparticularlypointed out in the claims. a f

In the accompanyingdrawings,forming part of this specicatiomFigure 'l' is aside view of a launch with myimproved storm-hood applied to the forward end thereof. Fig. 2

is a similar view showing the forward and'L rear hood withthe intermediateV cover. Fig.;

3 is a detail view'of 'theforward hood, show ing the construction of `thesame and a 'por' tion of the middlecoVer-and'the manner of attaching it to the forward hood. Figs. 4 and 5 are details of the mechanism for adjustably securing the hood' to the combing.' Figs. `6 and 7 are details of a` non-adjustable device that may be used for the same purpose. Fig. 8 illustrates the manner of securingthe ribs of the hood on a common pivot.

Fig. 9 is a view, partially in section, of the same. Fig. 10 is a detail of the socket wherein the rib of the middle cover is supported.

Figs. 11 and 12 are `details of the device for adjustably securing one of the hood-ribs to person steering and other occupants of the 'boat that may be in the forward'portionfof the cockpit I provide a storm-hood consisting, preferably, of canvas`,jkhaki cloth, or Yother suitable material 5 of suitable weight' and provided with a series of ribs 6, 7, and 8, or more, if found preferable, that are bow- Vshaped and have their ends secured oncom- Amon pivots 9 in brackets l0, that are adjustably mounted on straps'll, secured to the combing on each side of the boat, said brackets being held against accidentalmovement .by any suitable means, such as setscrews 12.

Any looseness or slack in the hood-cover may be easily and quickly taken up by means of these adjustable brackets.

- The ribs or'bows maybe -secured to the cover 5 in any suitable'way;y but Il prefer to provide folds 13 in the canvas at the top and bottom to receive thefbows 6 and 8, and midway between the said'fol'ds I'prefer to stitch the edges ofa band 14: to the cover onV the in' side,theimiddle ofthe band, with the cover, forming a pocket to receive the bow 7.; IThe lbows will thus be concealed andgboth sides ofthe hood will present a neat finished appearance. The bow 6 is bent to f1taround the combing at the forward end of the cockpit and lie upon the deck when the hood is not used, while the bow 8 will occupy a substantially vertical position and the bow 7 a position intermediate to the others, as shown in Fig. 3.

To holdthe bow 6 in place on the deck, I

too

provide hooks 15, pivoted at points intermediate to their ends on the bow 6 and having jaws 1G, that are adapted to engage a strap 17, secured to the deck, and to lap by each other a sufficient distance to hold the bow securely while the hood is in use.

To prevent any accidental separation of the jaws, I prefer to provide aspring 17 between the opposite ends of the hooks, which normally holds the jaws together, but permits them to be separated to disengage the bow from the strap.

Any suitable means may be provided for holding the bow 8 in a vertical position when the hood is used without the middle cover; but I prefer to provide light chains 18, secured at one end to the bow and having snap-hooks 19 to engage rings 2O in the deck. By means of these chains the hood-cover may be drawn taut when the hood is opened and the device held securely, even though the 'launch is running into a strong head wind. When not in use, the chains are nnhooked and the bows 7 and 8 allowed to drop down on the deck outside the bow t', as shown in Fig. 3, the difference in length of the bows being sufficient to permit them to be folded one inside the other. The hood having been attached to the launch need not be removed therefrom, it being merely necessary when not in use to drop the bows down upon the deck, where, with the folded canvas cover, they will lie against the combing and be partially concealed and protected thereby.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I have shown a slightlymodified means for fastening the bows to the combing, which consists in providing a block '21, having a dovetailed socket 22 to receive a To facilitate steering, I prefer to provide small light of glass 25 in the lower section of the hood, which while not in any way interfering with the folding of the cover will allow the person at the helm to see clearly ahead of the boat. The hood at the rear of the boat is of substantially the same construction and secured to the combing in substantially the same way as the one described and is preferably provided with a Ventilating-hole 26, covf ered by a flexible flap 27, that is stitched to the hood, preferably on the upper side of the hole. This Vliap has gromets 2S near its lower edge, wherein a cord 29 is knotted, the upper portion of the cord following the edge of the liap to a point above its stitched edge and there passing through gromets in the cover, while the lower portion of the cord passes through gromets below the free edge of the Hap.

Any suitable means may be provided to hold the iiap in its closed positionsuch as a weight 30, hung on the cord below the flapand when it is desired to open the iiap the weight may be hung on the cord above the opening, when the iiap will be rolled up and the Ventilating-hole exposed.

In stormy weather it is frequently desirable to have a cover over the middle of the boat in addition to the hoods at the ends. I therefore provide straps 31, secured to the combing on each side near the middle and forming sockets to receive the ends of a centrallyarranged rib 32, that supports a cover 33 of material similar to the hoods and having a pocket formed by a band St, stitched to the cover on the inside to receive the bow and prevent the cover from slipping out of place thereon. In the longer type ot' launches a series of bows may be employed, the number depending upon the length of the boat. The pocket above described is not essential and may be omitted entirely, if preferred.

The bow 8 of the hoods is provided with a series of hooks 35 to engage the looped ends of straps 36, that are secured to the middle cover on the inside, and each end of the cover| extends, preferably, over the hood-bow, to which it is secured and forms a iiy that extends for some little distance down over the hood-cover.

l The cover is secured in place at the sides by means of snap-hooks corresponding to those provided on the chain 18, engaging rings in the deck. t

The bow 32 is readiiy removable from its socket, and by disengaging the straps 36 from the hook on the hoods and disconnecting the edges of the cover from rings in the deck it can be readily removed, folded up, and packed away.

I prefer to provide the middle cover with av peep-hole corresponding to the one in the forward hood.

,Y Instead of using a canvas covering or tarpaulin to protect the boat while lying at the dock I may raise the hoods and set up the middle cover connecting them,and thus make the storm hoods and cover serve a double purpose-to shield the occupants of the boat from the wind, spray, and sun and the boat itself from the weather when not in use-and I have found that the hoods and cover for this purpose can be more quickly and conveniently opened up or folded than the ordinary cover employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a launch deck and combing, of a plurality of ribs or bows curved to conform substantially to the curve of the combing at the end of the cockpit and adapted to drop down upon the deck outside of said combing, the ends of said bows being pivotally secured, a flexible material covering and connecting said bows, means for securing one of said bows at a point intermediate to its ends in a horizontal position on IIG the deck, and means for supporting the other bows in a raised position and drawing said covering taut between them and said horizontal bow, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a launch deck .and combing, of a plurality of bows curved to tit around the combing and drop down upon the deck at the end of the cockpit, supports whereon the ends of said bows are pivoted, said supports being adjustable lengthwise of the boat, a tlexible material connecting said bows, means for securing one of said bows at a point intermediate to its ends in a substantially horizontal position on the deck and permitting its `horizontal adjustment with said supports, and means for supporting the other bows in a raised position and drawing said covering taut between them and said horizontal bow, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a launch deck and combing, of bows curved to conform substantially to the curve of the combing at the end of the cockpit and adapted to drop down upon the deck outside said combing, straps horizontally secured on the side of said combing, brackets adjustable lengthwise on said straps and on which brackets the ends of said bows are pivoted, a iexible material connecting and covering said bows, means securing one of said bows at a point intermediate to its ends in a substantially horizontal position on the deck, and means for supporting the other bows in a raised position and drawing said covering taut between them and said horizontal bow, substantially as described.

4. A covering for launches, comprising a series of curved bows pivotally supported at their ends nearthe forward end of the cockpit, a second series supported in a similar manner near the rear end of the cockpit, one bow of each series resting in a substantially horizontal position on the deck and following the curve of the combing and secured at points intermediate to its ends to said deck, lieXible coverings connecting the bows of each series respectively, a curved bow removably arranged near the middle of the boat, and a iiexible covering extending over said middle bow and having its ends secured to said first-named coverings and arranged to draw them taut between said middle and horizontal lbows, substantially as described.

5. A covering for launches, comprisinga series of curved bows pivotally supported at their ends near the forward end of the cockpit, a second series supported in asimilar manner near the rear end of the cockpit, one bow of each series resting in a horizontal position upon the deck and following the curve of the combing at the ends of the cockpit, flexible coverings connecting the bows respectively of each series, means securing said horizontal bows at points intermediate to their ends upon the deck and permitting their adjustment lengthwise of the boat, a curved bow removably arranged near the middle of the boat, a iiexible covering extending over said middle bow and having its ends attached to said first-named coverings, and the piv-v oted ends of the bows at each end of the cockpit being adjustable lengthwise of the boat to take up the slack in thecoverings and adapt the device for use on cockpits of different length.

6. The combination, with a launch deck and combing, of a plurality of bows curved to conform substantially to the curve ot' the combing at the end of the cockpit and adapted to drop down upon the deck outside of said combing, straps arranged horizontally on said combing, brackets adjustable length-` wise of said straps, pivot-pins carried by said brackets and whereon the ends of said bows are pivotally supported, a iiexible covering connecting said bows, a rod provided on the deck in front of said combing and eX- tending lengthwise of the boat, means con-V necting said rod and one of said bows to hold it in a horizontal position and permitting its horizontal adjustment, and means for' hold- I I 

